Tesla’s Flying Car Flies Into Perfect Storm Of Bad Press

Tesla plans to relaunch its Roadster sports car on October 15, with Elon Musk hyping it as one of the most exciting product unveils ever. Fan speculation suggests the car might actually fly or hover, partly because the event is being held at SpaceX's Texas facility and may involve thruster technology developed with SpaceX. Musk himself has been more cautious, promising excitement but not guaranteeing success. The car carries a price around $200,000, with a $5,000 deposit to reserve a spot and another $45,000 due within ten days.

This isn't really energy-efficiency news for your home. It's a story about Tesla's brand and Musk's public image, which has taken several hits recently. SpaceX, another Musk company, has reportedly limited Ukraine's access to its Starlink satellite internet service, drawing criticism from Ukraine's allies, including Poland, which pays tens of millions of dollars a year for that service. Separately, reporting shows Musk has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Republican political groups ahead of the 2026 midterms, and his political action committee has been accused of sending confusing voting information to some voters.

There's also fresh scrutiny of Musk's earlier stint leading the federal government's "DOGE" cost-cutting effort, with reports suggesting it didn't actually reduce government spending and that former DOGE staffers have gone on to profit from private contracts. None of this changes anything about Tesla vehicles, rebates, or home energy upgrades. It's simply a snapshot of Musk's turbulent public standing as the new Roadster launches.